DETROIT — Ten nights before Halloween, Central Catholic got an early scare in its regular-season football finale Saturday night at Ford Field in Detroit.
That fear was provided by Cass Tech sophomore Corey Sadler, Jr., an electrifying play-maker who dazzled the Fighting Irish (10-0) with his speed and elusiveness.
But Central, up just 28-23 at halftime, eventually got a grip on Sadler, and rolled to a 48-23 victory over the Technicians (6-3) in the 51st annual Prep Bowl.
This was the bonus game the Irish earned for winning the Catholic High School League's Central Division title.
“We came out and played really well offensively, moving the ball and being physical, and using tempo to wear them down a little bit,” Central coach Greg Dempsey said. “Their offense obviously had some good things going. [Sadler] is one of the best players you're ever going to go against. He's a special talent.
“But, how our kids responded was huge, and I was proud of how the defense came out and threw a shutout in the second half. I'm glad how we wrapped things up.”
Irish senior running back Marquan Braswell led the way offensively for Central, rushing 25 times for 133 yards and four touchdowns.
“It was an honor to come here and play at Ford Field,” Braswell said. “And, to beat the best team in Detroit in Cass Tech, we practiced hard for this. They were a good team, we're a good team, and we played better than them.”
Irish senior quarterback Terry Collins had a 9 of 12 passing effort for 173 yards and two scores — plus ran for a TD — in the 25th consecutive win for the Irish. Central won the 2022 Ohio Division II state championship, and is ranked No. 1 in Ohio in Division III.
Central started off with a bang following Jacob Spears' 50-yard kickoff return to the Cass Tech 35.
Two plays later, Collins hit Lavell Stokes on a 29-yard pass to the Cass Tech 1, and Braswell scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead just 1:37 into the game.
The Technicians responded on their first possession, driving 75 yards for the tying touchdown. Sadler ran the ball 2 yards to the 1, then fumbled into the end zone, where the ball was recovered for a TD by Cass Tech lineman Evan Gooden with 7:09 left in the first.
Central answered with a 56-yard scoring march following a 32-yard kickoff return by Marvon Greenlee. The Irish closed the drive on Braswell's 2-yard TD run for a 14-7 lead with 4:12 left in the quarter.
Cass Tech came right back with a 50-yard TD drive, finished off on a 2-yard run by Carson Lovett. The Technicians' PAT kick was blocked, and Central retained a 14-13 edge with 11:14 to go in the half.
The Irish then launched their third straight scoring drive, this one a monster 16-play, 80-yard trek that consumed eight minutes and culminated in Braswell's third TD of the game on an 8-yard run for a 21-13 Central lead 3:15 before the break.
However, the dynamic Sadler, a 5-star recruit who has received 15 Division I college scholarship offers — including from Ohio State and Michigan — returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to pull Cass Tech back within 21-20.
Central came right back with a six-play, 57-yard scoring drive, this time with Collins hitting receiver Jaylen Watson on a 50-yard catch-and-run play around the left side for the score and a 28-20 Irish edge with 52 seconds left in the half.
“This means a lot in my home town Detroit,” said Watson, who transferred to Central from River Rouge after his junior year. “I had a lot of family at this game. Being able to show up for the team when they called my number, I was really excited to make those plays.
“Everybody did their job. We weren't focused on doing somebody's else's job and being Superman. We all just did our jobs and, in the second half, we came out strong.”
Those 52 seconds were enough time for the Technicians to move 33 yards following a squib kick return, and set up George Sanchez-Murillo's 41-yard field goal to get within 28-23 on the final play of the half.
Central kept its streak of scoring drives rolling on its first possession in the third quarter. The Irish marched 66 yard and scored on Braswell's fourth touchdown of the game, a 4-yard run for a 34-23 lead with 3:25 left in the quarter.
The Irish made it 6-for-6 on TD drives as the third quarter spanned into the fourth. Collins scored on a 5-yard run for a 41-23 Central lead 45 seconds into the quarter.
Collins had a 48-yard TD pass to Watson for a 48-23 lead with 7:42 remaining.
First Published October 22, 2023, 2:06 a.m.
